Figure-toy attachment for disk phonographs.



GJA. DOENCH. FIGURE TOY AT EACHMENT FOR DISK PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FIL'ED AUG'91 1915.

1,170,427. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

d WITNESSES:

A TTOR/VEY UNIE TS PATENT onion.

GEORGE A. DOENCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIGURE-TOY ATTACHMENT FOR DISK PHONOGRA PI-IS.

graphs in which record disks are used for the reproduction of sounds, particularly those of a vocal and musical character, and is designed to afford an illusive efl'ect whereby one or more marionettes appear to sing, dance, or act in unison with the music emanating from the sound-producing mechanismas hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a. perspective view illustrating in a general way the practical application of my invention in connection with a disk-type of phonograph; Fig. 2, is a top view of the mechanism chest with various parts broken away to show the operative parts more clearly; Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of the mechanism chest taken upon plane of line33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, is a detail view of adjoining portions of the chest cover showing the longitudinal slot and the crossbars for engaging the marionette strings; Fig. 5, is a perspective View of the coupling tube for engagement with the spindle of the record table of'the phonograph; Fig. 6, is a sectional detail showing the means of transmitting motion to the operative parts in the mechanism chest; Fig. 7, a detail View showing the manipulating cords connected with a marionette.

of the disk-record type,-p, being the record table rotatable in the ordinary manner and provided as usual with a central spindle'p, accessible fromabove. with this phonograph table spindle p, I provide a coupling sleeve C, the lower portion of which is preferably split, as at c, to insure close fit and frictional contact with said spindle p. The upper portion of this coupling sleeve C, is provided with an internal shoulder or cross bar 0', for engagement with the slotted or bifurcated end of a stud tube a, attached to the lower end of' a pinion stud a, which is mounted in and extends through the bottom m, of the mech- Specification of Letters Patent. 4

For engagement Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed August 9, 1915; Serial No. 44,415.

anism chest M, and has rigidly attached to its upper extremity the actuating pinion a. By this or c uivalent means motion is borrowed and transmitted from the phonograph table spindle p, to the operative parts within the mechanism chest M, and obviously various well known mechanical expedients may be employed for this purpose, so that I do not limit myself in this respect to the identical form and construction of transmitting parts shown,the essential feature in this respect being a coupling adapted to engage with and connect the phonograph table spindle p, and the stud of the actuating pinion o in such man nor that the motion of the table spindle p,

is transmitted to the actuating pinion a,-

substantially as herein set forth.

The upper end'of the stud tube a, is preferably flanged as at a, to bear against the under side of the floor m, of the mechanism chest M, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the pinion stud a, is held in position against longitudinal movementby said flange a",

and the pinion a itself. In any case, no

matter how the motion transmitting parts .may be modified in structure, the coupling sleeve C, will constitute a support for the inner end of themechanism chest M,the outer end of the latter beyond the rotatable t'able p, being supported by a leg or brace m, adapted to rest against the top of the phonograph box P, which brace m, may be made detachable from the bottom m, of the chest to facilitate packing and transportation. The mechanism chest M, is elongated in shape, and its cover m constitutes, in appearance, a platform for one or more marionette figures F, which however are in fact supported each, on a'standard rod 7, pivotally mounted in a slide S, resting on the fioor of the chest and between parallel. guides m m secured to said floor, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. The lower end of each standard rod f, also rests on the fioorof the chest, M, and is formed with a slotted foot of lateral extension f, which gas tions, while moving it back and forth along the platform or cover m ,the latter being formed with the longitudinal slot m, to admit of this play of the standard rods 7, and the under side of the slide S, being reoessed as shown in Fig. 3, to admit of theplayofthe foot extension f.

Each standard rod 7, f, may be conveniently and cheaply made of metallic wire, and any appropriate figure, doll, or manilrin,.may be mounted upon the upper extremity thereof. In the arrangement shown in the drawings two standard rods 7, and two marionettes F, are provided, although is obvious that any number of figures may be'provided for, by a simple extension and duplication of certain parts.

The reciprocation of the slide S, is efiected by means of a pitman rod d, pivotally con.- nected with said slide S,and with a disk D, rigidly attached to a cog wheel 6, meshing with the actuating pinion a ,said disk D, and cog wheel 6, turning upon a stud b, mounted in the floor of the chest M. The slide end of the pitman d, is made into a loop d, forming a longitudinal slot through which passes the pivotal pin 3, on the slide S. Thus the latter is allowed a period of restat the termination of its stroke in either direction and prior to the reversal of reciprocal movement, so that the marionettes will also'come to rest for a short period prior to reversal of direction of movement or travel- Obviously the pitman rod (i, might be pivotally connected directly with the co'g wheel Z), with like elfect,the intermediate disk D, in the arrangement shown in the drawings being provided to space and position the pitman rod cl, with relation to the upper portion of the slide S, which is recessed to accommodate said rod. The latter is also shown as bent laterally to clear one of the standard rods f,-but these features are only incidental to the structure shownin the drawings. The relative diameters of the actuating pinion a and the cog wheel Z), may be varied as may be found most expedient in adapting the device and the motions of the figures to harmonize with the requirements of the music with which. they are designed to lie-associated. Thus, for a song and dance team 'suchas represented in the drawings, a difierence of four to one is desirable, equivalent to the usual timing of song and dance music. And

where the device'is to be used in connection with the latter class of music, I prefer to actuate the lower limbs of the marionettes in conformity to the music. This I accomplish-by pivotally connecting the lower limbs F, of each m'anikin to its body portion eccentrically as illustrated at f 7, in. Fig. 7,

.and attaching manipulating cords, strings or equ ivalent flexible comiections c, e, opposite said pivots f," as also she as said at or near the termination of each reciprocatory st "eke of the slide S, in either tron one or the other of the limbs of each ligure ll, will be raised in time with the music, and an illusive eliect produced. [and in the case of song and dance music if the observer is suliiciently remote from figures they will seem to be singing well dancing to the music. I

' in. Fig. 1, of the drawings the marionettes are shown in continuous lines as in the intermediate position, and in dotted lines as at the termination. of the inward. stroke of the slide $5. Obviously if desired the arms of the figures might be articulated and manipulated in like manner, so that I do not confine myself in this respect to the manipulation of the leglimbs,th e essential feature being the manipulation of limbs of marionettes in the manner set forth.

I What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. An attachment for phonographs of the character designated, comprising a slide, means for reciprocating the same by motion derived from the spindle of the rotatable record table of the phonograph, a n1arionette supporting rod pivotally mounted on said slide and formed with a slotted lateral extension straddling a fixed stud, and said fixed stud, whereby the marionette as car-- ried back and forth by the slide is made to partially turn alternately in opposite directions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An attachment for phonographs of the character designated, comprising a slide, means for reciprocating the same by motion derived from the spindle of the rotatable record table of the phonograph, a marionette supporting rod pivotally mounted on said slide, a marionette mounted on said rod and formed with pivotally attached limbs, flexible connections, one attached to each of aid pivoted limbs and to the said slide, and stationary contacts arranged to engage flexible connections during the reciprocation of the slide, whereby the limbs are actuated, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. An attachment for phonographs of the character designated, comprising a slide, means for reciprocating the same by motion derived from the spindle of the rotatable record table of the phonograph, a marinnette supporting rod pivotally mounted on said lideand formed with aslotted lateral extension straddling a fixed stud, said fixed stud, a marionette mounted upon said supporting rod andformedwith pivotally attachedlimbs, fiexible connections, one attached to each of said pivoted limbsand to vthe slide, and stationary contacts arranged to engage said flexible connections during the-{reciprocation of the slide, Whereby the marionette as it is moved back and forth-is made to partially turn alternately in opposite directions and whereby its limbs are actuated substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

a. An attachment for phonographs of the character designated, comprising a slide upon which is mounted a marionette, and means for reciprocatingsaid slide by II10 tion derived from the spindle of the rotatable'record table of the phonograph, conslsting of a coupling sleeve fitting upon said recordtable spindle and formed for engagement with the interlocking end of a pinionstud, a cog gear meshing-With said pinion, and. a pitman rod pivotally connected with said cog gear and with said slide, whereby the reciprocation of the slide with relation to'the music may be prescribed by the relative diflerence in the diameters of the saidpin andcog Wheels, substantially as set forth.

5. An attachment for phonographs of the character 1 designated, comprising a slide upon Which-is mounted a marionette,,and means forreciprocating said slide by motion derived from the spindle'of the rotatable record table of the phonograph consisting of a coupling sleeve fitting upon said record table spindle and formedfor engagement With the interlocking end of a gear 4 

